


Poker Face

by thistle_do_nicely



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-02-28 09:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2727617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thistle_do_nicely/pseuds/thistle_do_nicely
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unintentional seduction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Temptation

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it was "A one-chapter sequel of sorts for Transitions" (which I did write another chapter for after all and so I guess now it's not really a sequel at all). Had to add a second chapter when I had a flash of inspiration when reading some other fics – I though what if they didn't get the chance to have a memorable night….. Then I had to finish it off with a third chapter because, well, it felt like it needed the last chapter.
> 
> Still a Shaw POV. A naughtier theme altogether. My initial idea had been for Shaw to play the seducing role and for Root to be jealous but for some reason it morphed into this……
> 
> Title in reference to the Lady Gaga song.

 

This job wasn’t so bad. Anyway, _anything_ would have been preferable to be stuck in that damn batcave for another week. To be fair, the rest of the team had done their best to stop her going crazy down there; bringing her food, making a significant improvement to the washing facilities and by the end of her sentence she had quite a decent amount of gym equipment too. Shaw had done her best to support the team from within the limits of her confinement but had grown incredibly frustrated at her inability to use her real skills. She understood that the rest of the team had been working hard at a plan to try and take down Samaritan and now, finally, she was getting to play a part.  

 

Finch had assured her that the security camera feeds for the hotel and casino were not able to be accessed by Samaritan so she was safe as long as she didn’t leave the hotel. This didn’t really bother her – there wasn’t much she wanted to see in Atlantic City – and the hotel had a gym, a pool, and served good food. She wasn’t making much money as she was staying in the hotel while she was working the tables but that wasn’t the point. She was on a mission and she had purpose.

 

_Yeah, this definitely beats the make-up counter._

 

 

Shaw had been put on the poker table and was trying to be as subtle as possible about searching the room for signs of their mark and for Root. She was beginning to think that neither of them was going to show, despite the fact that he was staying at the hotel  - in a suite, no less - and she had been annoyingly eager to get the chance to count cards. Their mark, a 6”3’ Texan called Mark Davis, was a consultant who worked for Samaritan and in his room was a hard drive that had vital information that Finch needed. They couldn’t risk stealing it without risking detection and, since it would be protected, a certain level of technical skills were likely to be required to copy the files. Shaw didn’t have those skills. Root did. Trying to make it look like a robbery was going to prove tricky and it meant that they weren’t going to be able to use Shaw’s favoured method of protection. Gunshot wounds always seemed to attract unwanted attention.

 

Finally, she spotted her. _Well, that was quick_! She was already on the arm of Mr Davis. She appeared to be thanking him for something. He turned to help her take her jacket off and Shaw did her best not to show an external reaction that would betray the internal reaction caused by seeing Root in _that_ outfit.

_Damn_.

Her mind flashed back to the team in the batcave, formulating their plan.

Harold informed the others that Mr Davis always carried the hard drive on him – he never left it unattended in his suite. They would need to access his room while he was in it.

“If this is going to be a robbery, then we need to make sure he has something worth stealing.” 

“John has a point. Maybe Miss Shaw can facilitate him winning a moderate sum at the casino tables?”

“Well that could work Harry, but I can count cards so it might arouse less suspicion if I could ‘assist’ Mr Davis in winning some money.”

“Root’s right – it would be difficult for me to do that. So, how are you going to make sure you get back to his room?”

“ _That_ will be the easy part.” Root smirked.

“Okay, but it will need to be no surprise to anyone that he has taken you back to his room,” Reese suggested.

“How about I borrow that white dress you wore to that museum event?” said Root, grinning.

“Yeah, that would work” Reese nodded in agreement.

Finch coughed. “I, erm, concur.”

“You guys are unbelievable.” Shaw rolled her eyes. “If you hadn’t forgotten, I’ve kind of had to leave all of that behind.” Her stomach tightened at the thought of not being able to retrieve the medal she had wanted to go back for by she couldn’t afford to be caught out by sentiment. “Wait, you weren’t even around when we were at that event!” Shaw shot an accusatory look Root’s way.

“No, I wasn’t, but She saw everything.” Another smirk.

“Anyway,” Shaw said firmly, blue is more your colour. Like the one you wore for that job interview.” Before Root could retort, Shaw added, “Besides, you’d need to see a lot more sunshine than you’ve seen recently to pull off a white dress.”

For the first time Shaw could remember, Root seemed lost for words.

 

She had gone with a blue dress. A short, satin blue dress that was turning more than a few heads in the room. Shaw pretended that she wasn’t noticing how the dress seemed to hug Root’s figure in all the right places and made her legs seem endless.

_Damn_.

Shaw switched her earpiece on. “Almost thought you weren’t going to show.”

Root and the contractor were heading for the bar near the table Shaw was at. “Slight hiccup at security on the way in. Thought they were going to confiscate my cuffs but Mr Davis persuaded them that they were hardly a _weapon_.” So she did at least have cuffs with her. Root turned to the side towards where Shaw was, giving Shaw a much better view. She looked at her outfit again. I hope you have more than cuffs in that bag, Root, because there’s no way you’ve got anything concealed under _that_ dress.” Root smiled. “Glad you approve.” As she saw Shaw perform one of her trademark eye-rolls she added, “Got a taser cell phone. And something to help Mark sleep.”

Good, she wasn’t unarmed and she would be able to incapacitate the consultant. The use of a drug wouldn’t be inconsistent with a robbery. Shaw felt a little more at ease. Root had draped herself on the shoulder of the tall, handsome computer expert – he seemed to be delighted that she was flirting with him.  As he handed her a glass of what looked like champagne, Root whispered something into his ear and he turned round, glass in his right hand, left hand on the small of Root’s back, and guided her towards the table Shaw was at. Shaw turned her ear piece off.

“Caribbean Stud, sir.” Shaw smiled at their target, who nodded and placed some chips on the Ante box. He sat down and Root settled in behind him. Now she could see Root up close she could see her long hair had been done with a bouncy curl at the ends, cascading over her shoulders and shining under the casino lights. She had kept her make up understated, going for a slightly darker red lipstick which didn’t clash with her dress. She looked stunning. Shaw realised she was lingering her gaze a little too long. Not long enough for anyone else to notice, but long enough for Root spy. “Hey there,” she said, eyes locking with Shaw’s, her voice tapping more into her Texan roots than usual, “I’m Susan. This is Mark. What’s your name?” Shaw scowled. “Oh, are we not supposed to talk to the dealer? I didn’t know, first time, you see.” Shaw supressed an eye-roll and forced a smile, “It’s no problem. I’m, uh, Gina. I take it you’re just here to observe?”

“I think that would be best for now, _Gina_. Maybe I will bring Mark some luck. Got my luck longhorns bracelet on.” Root flashed her wrist, displaying her charm bracelet with Texan longhorn and star charms.

“Well look at that, should’ve known you were a Texas girl.” Mr Davis seemed even more charmed with Root who was placing the wrap she had taken off over the back of a nearby chair.

Shaw carried on with her work, keeping an eye on the flirting couple. Root was giving a masterclass in seduction, using her voice, her hands and those legs to tease him, without going over the top. Shaw was full of admiration for the skill Root was displaying and was growing more confident that the plan was going to work. And she was doing this at the same time as counting the cards. Shaw had to admit that it was pretty impressive.

_Careful, you’re not the one she’s trying to seduce_.

And yet she was.

_Damn_.

Shaw forced herself to concentrate on her role. Root was making some casual suggestions in Davis’ ear, working hard to make sure they seemed like the suggestions of an inexperienced player. When three of her hints in a row won him some money, she backed off for a few hands to reduce suspicion. Finally the game worked in their favour and Root realised that Davis was going to have an almost unbeatable hand. She purred in his ear, squeezing his arm - which Shaw had noticed was quite muscly -daring him to bet large. Whatever she said seemed to make him a little hot under the collar and he went all in. Root grinned and draped her left arm across his shoulder, her right arm over his left shoulder, hand on his broad chest, careful to avoid the pocket she knew the hard drive would be in. Shaw realised her jaw was clenched and she forced herself to relax. They won. Root kissed Davis on the cheek, her hand on his waist. Shaw tried not to watch as she sorted the chips. Her boss had come over at the commotion.

“Anything to worry about?”

“Nah, think she’s got beginner’s luck – he was pretty average on the tables last night. You might want to have a word with the service staff – they haven’t had much to drink yet.”

“Really? That shouldn’t be happening – we have more than enough waiting for the crown we have in tonight. Duly noted.” Shaw rubbed the back of her neck. She had complained of a headache earlier to give her excuse to leave the floor if needed. “Listen, why don’t you take a break? I’ll get them something to celebrate the win. Maybe they’ll lose it at another table.”

“Sure. Actually I need to call home, I didn’t want to say earlier but my father was taken unwell earlier.” Shaw said, sowing the seeds of the reason for her not returning to work after her break.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise,” her boss said sympathetically. “Take your time.”

_Even the bosses are nicer in this job_.

Shaw turned to pick her jacket off the back of her chair. Davis had gratefully accepted the booze but had declined the offer to risk losing his winnings in another game.

“I’ll take that in cash, thanks. And this,” he indicated to the champagne, “I’ll take _this_ back to my suite.”

“Of course sir.” The manager was all smiles but Shaw could tell he was annoyed.

Now for the moment of truth.

“I’ll need a bucket of ice. And _two_ glasses.” He smirked, putting his arm around Root’s waist, who gave a triumphant and knowing smile. He didn’t see the wink Root sent Shaw’s way.

Shaw was simultaneously relieved and annoyed. The plan was working but suddenly David seemed a bit more threatening. The win had increased his confidence and when Shaw walked past him as he was collecting his cash she became acutely aware of his height and his physique. Root seemed so slight in comparison. She turned her ear piece back as she left the floor, ready for Root contacting her in what she hoped would be a relatively short time.

She picked up Root’s wrap from the chair she had left it on and headed back to her room and gathered her belongings in a bag which she then took down to the basement, stashing it near the elevator where it would not be easily found. She checked she had her weapon, silences attached, in her jacket and then she took the back stair up towards the suite where Davis was staying. She had no intention of using the weapon but it felt good to know she had the back up. As she got to the top of the stairs she heard static her ear piece.

“Look I hadn’t really planned for these to be used on me. And I couldn’t _bear_ the thought of disappointing you but….”

_Fuck. “Bear”_. That was the code for the shit hitting the fan. Shaw new that something had gone very wrong and sprinted towards the suite, pausing as she came out the stairwell to add device Finch had given her onto the back of the security camera. Although she knew the feed wasn’t going to make it out of the hotel to Samaritan’s watchful eye she knew the security team at the hotel might be suspicious of her going towards the room of a customer who had just won big. This way they would see duplicate footage from a previous night.

“.. but, you’re hurting me. Please, no…”

When she reached the door she used the key card she had acquired earlier to let herself in and quietly made her way towards the main space in the suite. She saw in the reflection in the mirror that Davis had cuffed Roots hands above her head to the top of the four-poster bed. Her bag was well out of reach, the contents spilled across the vanity table top and the champagne was poured into glasses but apparently untouched. Root was almost kneeling on the bed but her long legs weren’t quite long enough for the mattress to take her weight and so the cuffs were cutting into her wrists as they held her weight. Davis pushed her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. He trailed the back of his hand down her check, down her neck and onto her collar bone. Root’s eyes were wide with fear and Shaw wasted no more time.

Still hidden from view she began to call out, “Mr Davis your guest forgot her wrap, your door was open so..” she then stepped into view and did her best to make it seem like this was her first view of this scene, “Oh, I, um.”

“Please let me go!” Root pleaded.

This was all the excuse Shaw needed. She grabbed the stun weapon disguised as a cell phone from the table and rushed towards Davis. Before she could use it though he responded to the threat and ducked out of Shaw’s reach combat-rolling to the side. “This is none of your business, bitch.” Shaw was too quick for him and she managed to bring the weapon towards his neck as he lunged up towards her. She made contact with him a split second after his fist hit her jaw. He crumpled to the floor.

“Are you okay?”

Root nodded. Shaw was searching the bag for the keys to the cuff.

“It’s, uh, not there”.

“Then where is it? We don’t have time to pick the lock.”

“I kept it on me.” Shaw raised an eyebrow. “Well you’re not wearing a bra, so….”

Root’s eyes glanced downwards and Shaw shook her head unable to hide the wry, subtle smile that flashed across her face. She stepped towards Root and concentrated on keeping her hands steady as she crouched down and brought her hands up towards the hem of that dress. Aware that her pulse was quickening she grabbed the fabric at either side and began to hitch it up. She swallowed hard as she saw the garter on Root’s left thigh, let go of the dress with her left hand and brought it across to retrieve the key which she knew was secreted inside. She stole a look up and saw that Root’s eyes were closed and she was biting her lip.

_Well, she_ is _in pain. Yeah, that’s it. Idiot. Just like the reason your heart is going at a hundred miles an hour is nothing to do with the current position of your hands…_

Shaw realised that part of her brain was willing her to move her hands further up when another part of her brain snapped her back to reality.

_We have a mission._

Shaw got the key out, let go of the dress and stood up. This roughly brought her head level with Root’s shoulders. She looked to the side and spied a conveniently placed ottoman and stepped onto it. This brought her to height where she could reach the cuffs, just, although it brought her face alarmingly close to Root’s. She concentrated on her immediate task and tried to ignore the fact that Root was breathing in a less than controlled manner and that her face seemed flushed.

Suddenly, the cuffs were released with a click. Shaw had to hold on to Root to stop her losing her balance and Root placed one hand on Shaw’s shoulder, to help her steady herself. Her other hand came down to touch Shaw’s lip. “You’re bleeding.” Root breathed.

_Fuck. Not now_. Shaw was trying to ignore the sensations she was experiencing, a longing she hadn’t felt in… she wasn’t sure she had ever felt like this.

“So are you.” Shaw grabbed Root’s damaged wrist. “And I need to clear it up while you get the files we need.” She was trying to appear composed, her voice firm, but she was sure it sounded as steady as she wanted. She stepped off the ottoman, ushering Root down and handing her the device from her pocket. Root headed towards the chair where Davis’ jacket was and got to work. “What went wrong?” Shaw asked.

“He was more interested in me than the champagne so he didn’t take any of the roofie in. He was too strong for me. I….” her voice trailed off as she busied herself with her task.

“Which one?” Shaw asked, pointing at the glasses.

“The one on the right.”

Shaw took this glass and tipped most of it down the drain. She found the vial with the remaining liquid and tipped it into Davis’ mouth. She wiped down any places she knew she and Root has touched, trying to remove the any traces of blood and pocketing the cuffs.

“Done. The cash is in the wardrobe.” Root unplugged her device and handed it to Shaw, who went to get the cash, while she wiped down the hard drive and replaced it in Davis jacket.

“Let’s get out of here.” Shaw scanned the room to check for anything else that might make it seem like more than a robbery but couldn’t see anything obvious. She opened the door and checked the corridor and they hurried towards the staff lift which would take them directly down to the staff car park in the basement level. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw the elevator was empty and they got in. Shaw was facing the panel with the floor keypad and used the key card to allow them access to the basement floor and also meant that they would not be stopped on the way down.

“Doors closing.”

She remained facing the wall, with her back to Root as she said, “This elevator has no cameras, right?”

“Right, why?”

Shaw gulped and decided she would let that part of her brain win for once.

She turned round and bit her lip drawing her teeth over the wound, tasting the metallic tang on her tongue. She faced Root, well aware that she was breathing heavily, with her mouth open slightly. Root’s eyes were wide with hunger as she looked at the blood on Shaw’s lip and tongue. Shaw quickly closed the space between them and pushed her lips against Root’s, slamming her against the wall. Root hungrily kissed her back, her left hand behind Shaw’s head, pulling it further towards her, running her tongue over the wound on Shaw’s lip. Shaw’s hands found Root’s hips and that caused Root to gasp and push into Shaw, twisting her ninety degrees so that Shaw was now against the back wall. Shaw’s hands moved down running down the backs of Root’s legs, drawing out a growl of pleasure from her.

“Doors opening.” The artificial voice brought them back to reality. They only lingered for a brief moment, lips millimetres apart, aware only of their breathlessness and desire until the ping of the elevator door jolted them apart.

_Get a grip, we have to get out of here_.

Shaw took a deep breath, stepped out of the elevator, and moved towards the nearby place where she had stashed her bag. As she was stooping down to collect it, Root said to her, “I’ve got a treat for you.” Shaw stood up and raised her eyebrows. “Oh, yeah?”

Root pressed the button on the key in her hand and Shaw looked towards where she had seen the corresponding car headlights and indictors flash to show it was unlocked.

_Holy shit._

“Maserati. _Nice_.”

“Well, I know you like stick-shift and we need to get to our rendezvous point quickly. This was available. Don’t say I’m not good to you. Just wait until I say until you put your foot down. Can’t get caught by the traffic cops.”

They quickly got in the car and Shaw used the key card for one final time to exit the car park before handing it to Root to wipe down, snap into two and toss out the window. She adjusted the mirrors as they drove away from the casino. It was a clear, dark night and Shaw grinned as she felt the power when she revved the engine.

“Shaw.” Root warned.

“I know, I know.” Shaw protested.

“You’ll get to indulge your desire soon enough.” Root said, voice positively dripping with innuendo.

Instead of rolling her eyes, Shaw found herself biting her lip and shaking her head slightly.

As she changed gear her hand brushed Root’s leg and she was aware of Root’s sharp intake of breath.

“I better. It’s not right to know something is available and not be able to do something with it.”

“Well, well, you are just full of surprises today Shaw.”

 She says that once you reach the intersection the coast is clear to put pedal to the metal.”

Shaw grinned. This could be a memorable night.


	2. Working out frustrations.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaw is frustrated - for more than one reason.

This could be a memorable night.

Or so she thought.

The car ride had been an interesting one…. at first - her hand brushing Root’s leg every time she changed gear and Root looking positively aroused as Shaw drove with skill at high speed. However, once they were on the main route, which was a fairly monotonous drive, she didn't need to change gear and it didn't seem so fast when they were driving in straight line. Root eventually put her head back onto the headrest and Shaw thought she was sleeping at first until she heard a loud sigh from next to her.

“Seriously? Right now?” Root was looking unimpressed.

Another loud sigh.

“Root,” Shaw growled.

“Bad news. She needs me somewhere else right now.” Shaw gripped the steering wheel a little tighter.

“Is that so?” Shaw tried to sound like it wasn't a big deal but she was pretty sure that there was some obvious frustration in her voice.

“We’re coming off at the next exit – head for the thing that looks like a giant UFO. There’s a multi-storey car park which conveniently has a malfunctioning CCTV system. The boys are there in a van that they have modified to conceal you in case there is a road block as we go back into the city.”

“Fine.” Shaw was clearly not fine, as the tension in her jaw showed.

As it was the middle of the night, the car park was quite quiet and they soon spotted Reese playing games with Bear. They pulled up in a spot nearby and they both got out. Root took the bag with the cash as Shaw headed straight for the van. Finch raised his eyebrows as he sensed Shaw’s anger and quickly looked towards Reese, “Uh, John, we did bring some food with us didn't we?”

“In the back.” Reese caught sight of the wound on Shaw’s lip. “Rough night?” _Dammit!_ – Shaw realised she must have bitten her lip in frustration at some point in the last five minutes and reopened the wound. She licked the blood off her lip and looked in the reflection of the van window to see if she had missed any. She failed to notice Root’s wide eyes watching her every move. “Should see the other guy.” As she climbed into the back of the van she grumbled, ”Better be decent food.”

Reese indicated a sheet on the floor of the van, “False spare tyre – looks realistic enough – It’ll be a tight fit but it’s a last resort anyway because they might recognise us. Any smell of trouble and we’ll be ditching the van and resorting to plan B.”

“Which is?” Root said as she watched Shaw, who had found the food, start to tear open the wrapper.

“I’ll let you know when we come up with one,” came the reply from Reese as he started to move round the side of the van.

Finch’s voice came from the passenger seat. “Bear is in. We really need to be heading back while the roads are still quiet.”

“They’re all set Harry,” Root said as John opened the driver-side door and she went to close the door at the back of the van.

“You’re not getting changed?” Shaw said through a mouthful of what looked like a meatball sub. Root couldn't tell where the marinara sauce started and blood stopped.

“Nah, apparently I’ll be able to get a lift easier like this,” Root said.

“That sounds like a stupid plan,” Shaw said, pausing her sandwich demolition job.

“I'm assured that the odds of us all making I back safe are very good,” Root said, shrugging her shoulders, “and besides, I’ve got my trusty taser.” Root winked as she closed the van door.

Shaw couldn't even manage an eye-roll as she watched Root disappear from view and heard her hit the back of the van to signal Reese to move off. Instead she found herself frowning and biting down on her lip. Again.

 

\-----

 

She had lost count of how many vertical ‘sit-ups’ she had done, as she hung upside down by her legs from the ‘bar’ (actually a pipe) in the dimly lit subway station. The workout had given her a good chance to think. As she had done her interval training, sprinting up and down the tracks, she had berated herself for allowing herself to lose her cool. During her burpees she had kept going until her legs had no energy left - punishment for allowing herself to give in to her desires. Now she was admonishing herself for letting Root have the satisfaction of knowing that she had got to Root. _She doesn't get to win this game. Never again will I make the first move._ She grunted as she realised that she wasn't saying ‘never again’ to what had happened, but to her being the instigator. Her chest tightened slightly as she again let the nagging worry that Root might make it back safely surface. She picked up the pace of her sit-ups, concentrating so much on the pushing through the pain in her abdominals that she didn’t notice that she now had company.

“I think you’re taking this ‘bat cave’ thing a bit too literally Shaw.” Root was leaning against the subway car, watching as the dim light hit off the sheen of perspiration on Shaw’s skin, appreciating her toned abdomen which was on view due to the cropped lycra workout top the shorter woman was wearing.

“Very funny. It’s not like I can go the gym – I have to improvise.” Shaw said as she ‘sat up’, grabbed the bar with her hands and elegantly swung her legs down off the bar as a gymnast would do, landing gracefully on the ground. Root noted that she had put duct tape round the bar, probably to protect her skin against the metal pipe. “I'm done now, anyway – just need to stretch off. I thought you had places to be.” Shaw said, trying to make sure there was no trace of annoyance in her voice. She sat down on the ground, legs wide apart and began stretching, first to the middle, grabbing each foot with her hand and then to each side, her head resting on her knee each time she stretched out.

“All done. I actually had two jobs. I’ll tell you about them later. I brought some food.” Root indicated the bags she had set near the computers, not taking her eyes off Shaw, mesmerised by her agility.

This peaked Shaw’s interest, she got up and moved the few steps towards where the food was.

“Thanks,” she said seeing bags from two of her favourite outlets.

“You’re welcome,” Root said, sitting down on the wheeled seat where Finch normally sat.

Shaw resumed her stretching, putting her foot up on the computer desk and leaning forwards to stretch her glutes and hamstrings.

“Not sure Harold will be too happy about that Shaw.”

“What he doesn't know won’t hurt him,” Shaw replied as she noted Root checking her out as she stretched. She changed legs. “Does it bother you?”

Root leant back in the chair, hands behind her head, one leg crossed over the other and took in Shaw’s toned legs and how firm and, well, _fine_ Shaw’s ass looked in her short lycra gym shorts. She replied, “I think the advantages considerably outweigh any disadvantages.”

Shaw suppressed a smirk. She took her foot down off the desk and turned towards Root. She brought her left foot up behind her, holding it against her backside and bent her standing leg a little, pushing her hips forward a fraction to stretch her quads thoroughly, placing her fingertips on the desk to support herself.

“Better not tell him about the food you've just put next to his precious equipment either.” She brought her leg down, shook it and began to swap over to stretch the other leg, again noting that Root was clearly enjoying watching Shaw, judging by the way she was breathing and she was sure she could detect a flush in Root’s cheeks.

As she began to stretch her right leg she winced as she felt a sharp pain, the muscle beginning to cramp up.  As she straightened her leg up to relive the cramp, she realised Root had instantly reacted to her discomfort, uncrossing her legs and using the desk to propel herself on the wheeled chair to close the short space between them.

Root was reaching out an arm to give Shaw’s left hand, gripping her forearm near her elbow, giving her some support as she struggled to keep her balance. She righted herself as the brief pain cramp wore off, saying, “I got it, I'm fine.”

Root looked up at her from the chair – it had clearly been painful. “Old injury?” She pointed towards the scar on Shaw’s thigh, as Shaw exhaled slowly in an attempt to ease the pain. The muscle was still in spasm and she could see it twitching.

“Yeah, FBI crack shot courtesy of us failing to deal with the senator.” She flexed the muscle a couple of times to attempt to stop the twitching. It seemed to work. Then she was aware that Root was still holding her arm, but became more distracted by Root’s other hand which was moving towards the scar. As Root touched it, Shaw worked hard to keep control of her breathing, as if it was not phasing her in the slightest that Root was touching her bare leg.

“Not a through and through.” Root murmured.

_She must have noticed there is no scar on the back of my leg. Figures._ Not that Shaw was disappointed that Root had been ogling her.

“That slug must have been brutal to get out. You’re lucky you didn't bleed out”. She continued to trace her fingers over the scar.  “This isn't your work, is it?”

Shaw swallowed, knowing that the fact that she wasn't pulling away would be sending all kinds of signals Root’s way. “No. Reese. I was pretty out of it. As you said, I lost a lot of blood. And I was too damn cold, couldn't feel my fingers.”

“No, _your_ work is much more elegant.” She lifted her fingers slightly and moved them up to Shaw’s abdomen across to where she had removed the hollow point bullet herself and stitched herself up.

“And I did that after beer, too,” Shaw said, almost managing to conceal her current state, her voice wavering ever so slightly. She reached out her right hand and moved Root’s top to the side, exposing the taller woman’s left shoulder. “This one is much neater,” she said, touching the scar she had left. “It’s much easier working on someone else.”

Root let go her grip of Shaw’s left arm, trailing her fingers over Shaw’s arm as did so, moving it over towards the scar and then towards Shaw’s left hip. The fingers of her left hand trailed over Shaw’s stomach to her right hip. Root looked up at Shaw, wide eyes full of lust, and used her grip on Shaw’s hips to manoeuvre the wheeled chair slightly further forward so her legs were in between the other woman’s legs. As she moved she pulled down on Shaw’s hips so that the smaller woman was effectively straddling her as she sat on the chair.

“Can I help you with something?” Shaw tried to sound casual, nonchalant, to hide the fact that she was more than happy with the current situation. _This is what I wanted…._

Root slid her hand from Shaw’s hips up her back and into her hair. She gripped Shaw’s hair band and pulled it out, dropping it to the ground. She looked right into Shaw’s eyes. “Yes. You could finish what you started in that elevator.”

“You didn't seem all that bothered in that car park.” Shaw said, working hard not to react as Root’s left hand ran through her hair cupping the back of her head and her right hand ran back down her back, over her hip and down the outside of her leg. “And I was going to take a shower…”

“Is that what you think?” Root frowned for a second. Her right hand moved back to Shaw’s hip and her lefts hand slid down along Shaw’s jaw and under her chin. She leaned slightly closer in to Shaw, moving her head to the side and purred into her ear, pausing between each word, “It is _all_ I have thought about since.”

Shaw felt Root’s breath warm on her neck and her nose was filled with Root’s perfume. Her heart was racing now and she knew her breathing was becoming heavier. She replied, trying to sound innocent, “What exactly is _it_ that you've been thinking about?”

Root leant forward, pushing Shaw so she was leaning backwards slightly. “You.” She looked up and down Shaw and lightly traced her fingers from Shaw’s hip along the top of her shorts, up past her navel and over her sports top, between her breasts, finally ending up on her bottom lip. “All the things I want to do to you.” She ran her fingers over Shaw’s lips. “And how I want to hear you scream my name.” She looked right into Shaw’s eyes as she said this.

Shaw grabbed Root’s right hand, moving it away from her face, at the same time grabbing Root’s left arm. “I don’t think so.”

A brief look of terror flashed across Root’s face until she realised that Shaw was moving forwards, pinning Root’s arms behind her back, and leaning forwards over Root. She moved her face so close to Root’s that they were millimetres apart. Root’s mouth opened slightly, and Shaw said, with her lips almost brushing Root’s, “It’s my name you’ll be saying.” This brought out a gasp from Root.

Root considered a trademark reply, but didn't have the patience to wait to taste Shaw’s lips on hers, so she didn't waste the time before moving forwards to kiss her. There was nothing delicate about this kiss; barely a moment passed before both women were using teeth and tongues to explore each other. Shaw had kept Root’s arms pinned behind her and when Root tried to free her hands Shaw only tightened her grip. This clearly frustrated Root who tried to lift her hips slightly but being seated on a wheeled chair, she didn't have enough purchase and only succeeded in moving a fraction of an inch. Shaw knew exactly what she was trying to do and smirked, breaking the kiss and pulling back from Root.

“I don’t think so,” Shaw said, letting Root see her smirk.

Root frowned again.

“I wasn't kidding about that shower.”

Now Root was pouting.

“And this chair is a death trap.”  Shaw let go of a stunned looking Root and sat back. She brought her hands from behind Root and trailed them over Root’s waist finally ending up at the button for her pants. She began to unbutton them.

“Uh, getting mixed signals here Shaw,” Root said, having regained her composure somewhat.

Shaw smiled, leaned to the left to plant her foot on the ground and swung her left leg up and over so she was standing next to the chair. She spun the chair round so she was able to lean down and say into Root’s good ear, “Well, you are kind of overdressed for the shower.” She straightened up, turning away from Root and took a step away from the chair before looking over her shoulder. Root looked up at Shaw, barely containing the grin spreading across her face and lifted her hand up to place it in the outstretched hand that Shaw was now offering.

_Mission accomplished._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll finish this with a third chapter soon. Apparently I have trilogies on the mind...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed. 
> 
> Happy Hogmanay!


	3. Unexpected gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Root surprises Shaw with a selfless act.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short fluffy chapter to round off this story. 
> 
> Happy New Year!

“You really need to get a hair-dryer down here,” Root said, fishing a napkin out of the bag and handing it to Shaw, who had managed to leave some of her sandwich filling on her chin. “I'm dripping water everywhere. If I water-damage any of Harold’s equipment he’ll kill me.”  She said sitting down on the cot, stretching her arms behind her and leaning back with her weight on her hands.

Shaw took Root’s visual prompt that she needed to wipe her chin. “I think he’d kill you if he knew what you were doing in that chair earlier on.” She smiled and reached into the second bag on the desk. “My hair dries quickly. _You_ don’t have to live down here.” She pulled two cup-cakes out the bag and examined them.

“One is salted caramel, the other maple and pecan,” Root offered.

“Which do you want?”

Root looked surprised that she was getting to choose. “I don’t mind – I bought them for you.”

Shaw shrugged and decided to use her finger to taste the frosting from one cake, not intending to do anything other than figure out which was which. She realised as she was tasting the first frosting that Root was staring at her with her mouth slightly open and tried not to smile as she went for the second sampling. She made a bit more of a play of licking this second frosting from her finger. “Mmm, I think salted caramel is my new favourite flavour.” She paused, thinking. After a few moments she said, “You should have that one,” and handed it to Root.

Root took the cake being offered to her, a somewhat confused expression on her face. Before she could say anything, Shaw suddenly inquired, “You never said what your other important task was – does it have something to do with what’s in this other bag?” She nodded towards the crumpled brown paper bag on the desk.

Root nodded, her mouth full of cup-cake. She swallowed and said, “Yeah, I got a tip off that something valuable was being hawked at a pawn shop in Staten Island. So I used some of the hard earned casino cash to get it. I bought a few other assorted items to try not to attract any attention.” She took another bite of the cup cake. “You should take a look.”

Shaw put her cupcake down, intrigued as to what could be of interest to her in the small bag. “Anything breakable?”

“Nope,” said Root, balling up her cupcake wrapper and throwing it in the trash. She popped the last bit of cake into her mouth.

Shaw tipped the contents of the bag onto the desk.

_It couldn't be…_

It stood out like a sore thumb among the assorted items that had spilled onto the desk. The red and gold of the ribbon seemed so bright in the dim surroundings. She reached for it as she felt something tighten in her chest. “How…?”

Root swallowed the last of her cake and began to explain to Shaw how Samaritan had found her apartment and gone through it with a fine tooth comb (but found nothing to lead them to the rest of the team or their new base, of course, it was Shaw after all) and that afterwards some opportunistic young thugs had ransacked the place, using what they could (weapons) and selling everything they could get money for.

Shaw was only half listening. She held the medal in her hand, feeling relief that she knew Gen would still be happy that Shaw still had the item which was so precious to her. There was also a sense of satisfaction that Samaritan hadn't separated her from this item which was the only inanimate object that meant anything to her. And Root had brought it to her. She looked over at her, lounging back on the cot. “And the machine decided to tell you about this?”

“Not exactly.” She didn't elaborate.

Shaw might have been reading between the lines but she was convinced that Root instructed the machine to track down the medal for her. It was probably the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for her since she was a kid. The words Gen said came back to her: it felt like someone had turned her volume up to eleven. The tightening feeling in her chest felt more like a crushing weight now and she was finding it difficult to breathe. She felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards the woman sitting on the cot. She couldn't find the words to express it and so she put the medal down, gently, and walked over to the cot.

She knelt on the mattress, one leg either side of Root’s hips, then sank down so that she was sitting astride the taller woman. She brought left hand up towards Root’s face, tipping her chin upwards and leaning forward to kiss her. The kiss was not as desperate, nor as wild as either of the first two times that they kissed. Shaw wanted to show Root what she was feeling because she knew it was the only way she would be able to. Root was surprised by how soft this kiss was, how gentle Shaw was being and it was making her heart thud inside her chest.

Shaw paused the kiss, pulling back slightly and licking her lips. Smirking, she said, “Yeah, definitely my favourite flavour.” Root chuckled and shook her head; she got it now. Shaw looked into Root’s sparkling eyes and saw that she still seemed slightly stunned at what Shaw was doing – almost like she was nervous. She didn't want Root to be in any doubt. Lifting her other hand up, she cupped Root’s face in both her hands and whispered, “Thank you,” as she leant in to kiss Root again.

Root lifted her hands off the cot, wanting to touch Shaw but because of Shaw’s forward momentum she only succeeded in shifting her balance backwards and, before she knew it, she was on her back with Shaw on top of her. Shaw shifted, adjusting her legs to a more comfortable position and Root took the opportunity to tease the smaller woman, “You know, you haven’t kept your promise.” The mischievous smile was back.

“And what promise was that?” Shaw asked, between the kisses she was placing on Root’s neck.

“You were going to _end_ me.” Shaw had worked her way down to Root’s collarbone, beginning to unzip the hooded top Root had borrowed from her.

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten,” Shaw said, voice low and predatory, as she finished wish the zipper. “Your time will come.”

Root’s reply was slightly strangled as she fought to stay in control as Shaw trailed kisses down her torso, “I certainly hope so.”


End file.
